NIP currently has no plans to field a VALORANT Challengers CN roster after competing in the latter half of the 2023 season.
CHINA – Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) currently has no plans to participate in the tier-two VALORANT Challengers CN scene following their unsuccessful attempt to secure a spot in the tier-one VCT CN League, although this may be subject to change in the near future.
This decision comes as a result of the organization’s VCT CN League partnership application being rejected and their subsequent inability to secure a temporary spot through the Ascension route. Furthermore, NIP has no plans to compete within the region as a Challenger team for the time being, which would limit their involvement only to the tier-two league.
The Swedish organization made its entry into CN VALORANT in late August with the signing of a roster featuring the likes of Liu “Spring” Chn-ting, Wong “JayH” Jia Heng, and others to participate in the regional competitions.
The team managed to accumulate points throughout their participation in the China Evolution Series circuit, during which they most notably qualified for the Play-In stage of Act II. However, following the VCT CN partnership announcement that did not feature NIP, the team had a final opportunity to secure a position in the region’s tier-one league through the Ascension route.
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Unfortunately, after successfully coming out of the group stage, the team encountered difficulties in reaching the finals, facing setbacks with losses in the first two rounds of playoffs against Attacking Soul Esports and eventual victors Dragon Ranger Gaming. This led to NIP securing a fourth-place finish, effectively bidding farewell to their aspirations of participating in the tier-one league.
Head coach Chong “Fayde” Hoc Wah has revealed that his contract with NIP will not be renewed, and he is actively seeking offers from any region.
Spring has officially joined Wolves Esports, making the transition after leaving a lasting impression as NIP’s highest-performing player with Duelist agents, while there are strong indications that JayH is in the process of making a move to DSG for Challengers MY/SG.
The future plans of the remaining players remain unknown, and NIP has yet to officially announce their next move.
Ninjas in Pyjamas played their last match with the following roster:
- 🇨🇳 Yang “Eren” Zeng-wei
- 🇹🇼 Liu “Spring” Chn-ting
- 🇸🇬 Wong “JayH” Jia Heng
- 🇭🇰 Wong “YRSelect” Tsz-ting
- 🇭🇰 Pong “SiuFatBB” Hei
- 🇲🇾 Chong “Fayde” Hoc Wah (Head coach)
UPDATE – The article earlier mentioned NIP’s potential withdrawal from the CN VALORANT scene. However, the organization has not finalized their next steps yet, and currently, they have no plans for Challengers CN.
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Cover photo courtesy of VALORANT Esports CN
